Colchester Oyster Fishery

The Colchester Oyster Fishery is situated on Mersea Island; a beautiful and tranquil village just 8 miles South of Colchester Town.

I met up with Will Docker who kindly escorted me around the fishery, explaining and detailing with abundant enthusiasm the careful process of farming and preparing these beautiful, and unfortunately for them, delicious creatures.

The fresh Colchester native oysters develop in the Pyefleet Creek and Colne Estuary, within the Fishery. They mature for four to five years before being harvested between the months of September to April. The more prevalent Rock Oysters are matured in the layings of the Pyefleet Creek and reach a prime size after two years; they are harvested throughout the year.

All of the oysters are cleansed and purged for at least 42 hours in the fisheries highly developed purification system, where they receive a constant stream of fresh sea water passed through a UV filter, to ensure that they are in perfect condition, ready to be despatched or collected.

The native oysters have a wonderful succulent, firm texture and creamy flesh with a distinctive fresh sea flavour. The rock oysters also have a fresh taste of the sea and cultivate a rich and subtley nutty flavour from the mineral and plankton rich sea beds.

The fishery also specialises in high quality fresh lobster and crab. The sweet and meaty lobsters are sourced at their best from either Scotland or Canada, depending on the season. The Crabs are sourced from the North West coast of Scotland, famed for providing the most consistent of quality crabs, with beautifully sweet and ample white meat and firm, flavoursome brown meat.

Both the crabs and lobsters can be delivered to your door or collected; freshly cooked, vacuum-packed and professionally prepared either ‘dressed’ or whole in their shell. They are cooked to order in small batches and then quickly plunged into chilled refridgerated water baths to halt the cooking process, ensuring that they reach you perfectly cooked and succulent.

Our Summary
A celebrated fresh oyster, lobster and crab supplier, providing carefully sourced and produced shellfish to the public, trade and wholesale markets. Orders can be taken on-line or by telephone, and delivered fresh, and carefully packaged to your door. Excellent customer service is provided.